Notre Dame football opens fall camp this week, and the 2026 college football season is almost here.

Head coach Marcus Freeman carries sky-high expectations into the year, and one of the biggest reasons is the talent returning on defense under second-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash. While several defensive spots are already locked in, including boundary cornerback, the top pass rusher, and both starting safeties, a handful of positions remain genuinely up for grabs heading into camp.

Real battles are brewing at defensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker, and nickel. The outcomes will shape what this defense looks like when Notre Dame opens the season at Lambeau Field against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the players involved and my predictions for who wins each job.

Defensive tackle: The most heated battle on the roster

This might be the most competitive position fight on the entire team, and it is not as simple as two guys starting while nobody else sees the field. Notre Dame is looking at a potential five-man rotation inside at defensive tackle. It may have been a six-man rotation if not for a preseason injury to Christopher Burgess, who will not be available to start the 2026 season.

The players vying for starting spots include Francis Brewu, Tionne Gray, Armel Mukam, Jason Onye, and Elijah Hughes. Cole Mullins deserves a mention in the conversation as well.

I believe Francis Brewu will be a starter inside. The transfer portal acquisition from Pittsburgh has a background with defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, and his combination of natural leverage, explosiveness, and brute strength should give him a chance to be the No. 1 defensive tackle.

For the other spot, I am going with the veteran Jason Onye, who was playing good football down the stretch of the 2025 season before Notre Dame was unable to secure a playoff spot. I believe Mukam will play, Gray will see plenty of action, and you will get some of Hughes and Mullins as well. But my prediction is Onye and Brewu earning the initial starting spots inside.

Defensive end opposite Boubacar Traore

At defensive end, second-year starter Bryce Young will have to hold off Alabama transfer Keon Keeley. Both players bring an intriguing combination of size and explosiveness to the table. I am giving the nod to Young. The true junior is 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, and while he was only solid a year ago in his first season starting, his upside is still immense.

I think the presence of Keeley could do wonders for Young, pushing him to unlock his potential through a genuine competition for playing time this fall.

Keeley will play a lot, as will true freshman five-star defensive end Rodney Dunham. But I will give the edge to Bryce Young opposite Boubacar Traore when the season kicks off.

Linebacker: Drayk Bowen’s partner is the real question

Drayk Bowen is locked in as the starting middle linebacker. If healthy, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is the odds-on favorite to be the other starting inside linebacker. While he is designated to return per coach Freeman, he has not been cleared for game action yet. I do have some questions about whether he will be available to start the season against Wisconsin or if Notre Dame will bring him along slowly.

If KVA is not available, there becomes a fascinating debate between Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry, and Madden Faraimo. I am giving the nod for now to Ausberry. Sneed will play a lot, and his versatility brings an intriguing ceiling to that room. But Ausberry has been the more consistent player over the last couple of years. That is who I see starting inside next to Bowen to begin the year until KVA is ready to go.

Nickel: Christian Gray makes the move inside

I do not think this one is much of a competition, but for now it will be framed as one.

Christian Gray, the starting field cornerback for Notre Dame the last two years, moved inside to the slot this offseason. He has been battling with sophomore Dallas Golden for reps inside, and Golden has also worked on the outside this spring, which makes him a perfect option to be the flex cornerback at multiple positions this fall.

Gray will start in the slot barring some unforeseen circumstance. That move was proactive from the Notre Dame staff, and he has put in a lot of work inside. I believe he is the starter when the Fighting Irish head on the road to play Wisconsin.

This Notre Dame defense has the talent and depth to be elite in 2026. The position battles at defensive tackle and linebacker will be the most fascinating storylines to follow through fall camp, and the results could determine just how high the ceiling is for Chris Ash’s unit.